Table 1.

Literature Review Findings

Citation and country	Research Method	Research Findings on Grief and Humor
Brewer & Sparkes, 2011. UK.	Qualitative, 2-year ethnography study, with interviews of 13 young people who had been parentally bereaved to determine how they dealt with their grief.	Enjoyment (identified as having fun, a sense of humor, and laughing) was found to be 1 of 4 main ways that they dealt with their grief. Humor served many purposes, including “reducing distress, building rapport and enhancing mood…. Participants also used laughter as a tactic to prevent a serious subject becoming too difficult to discuss” (p. 288). Many also described being able to laugh at themselves (with no explanation of this finding or its value provided). One youth used humor in reaction to negative emotions and life difficulties. This use and other uses of humor were a way of distancing themselves from their feelings of loss, and also a way to help them make sense of their grief. Humor also strengthened relationships with other people.
Booth-Butterfield et al. (2014). USA.	Quantitative, survey completed by 484 people grieving the death of a spouse or parent primarily, average age 48.4.	Having a personal “humor orientation” was associated with a greater use of humor in coping with their grief; males were found to have a higher humor orientation trait than females. Having a humor orientation was also linked with more effective coping. Greater or more effective coping efforts were inversely associated with physical health problems and physiological problems.
Cadell. (2007). Canada.	Qualitative, grounded theory analysis of interview data from 15 caregivers of people who had died of AIDS to determine how they found meaning in their bereavement.	Humor was identified as a theme among other findings, with many people using humor. Humorous anecdotes were often provided about their caregiving and bereavement experiences. For some, however, laughter or humor symbolized the end of grief and thus a closure over a death. Humor also restored dignity and provided support as it was considered by them to be a coping mechanism that helped them as they did their AIDS work; this included dark humor used at times. Personal growth was evident and it was considered a positive outcome of caregiving.
Caplan et al. (2005). USA.	Qualitative, examination of journals written over 3 days by 41 older community-dwelling people following a major loss, often the death of a loved one.	Among all statements provided in the assessed journals, less than 1% were humorous. Instead, facts and feelings, as well as evaluative statements were often written. Themes of loss and themes of feeling were identified. Positive outlooks were evident among some participants, although humor or laughter was not often emphasized by these people.
Donnelly. (1999). Ireland.	Qualitative, 2-year ethnography study, to identify traditions associated with death and dying in rural west Ireland, with interviews of 30 local people who were asked to recall memories of care of the dying in their rural area.	Humor was often identified in the interviews as a common feature of death, dying, and bereavement; as illustrated by: “Humour. A striking feature of these interviews was the enthusiasm with which interviewees talked about what today might be considered inappropriate” (p. 60). Examples of humor that had been used by dying persons, family caregivers, and family members were provided to illustrate instances of humor and the use of humor in the community. This study revealed “the collective wisdom of lay people who were familiar with dying and death” (p. 61), with “humour never far away” (p. 57).
Kanacki. (2010). USA.	Qualitative, grounded theory study involving interviews of 25 elderly widows after spousal death (6 months to 10 years before) in a hospital or hospice to explore perceptions of end-of-life care.	This study identified a process or transition near the end of life where they and their dying spouse came to realize and accept the impending death. This study also identified laughter and humor could be of benefit after the death for widows during the bereavement process. However, this finding of post-death laughter and humor was said to need exploration in future studies.
Keltner & Bonanno. (1997). USA.	Mixed-methods, a questionnaire and then interviews of 39 bereaved people aged 21–50, who were interviewed 3–6 months after the death of their spouse to test if laughter was related to reduced distress and enhanced social relationships in post-death bereavement.	Laughter that took place during the interview was associated with reduced distress among those interviewed. Laughter could also be a way of acknowledging one’s own distress, and a way of recognizing distress in others. Laughter was also linked with an enhanced recollection of the deceased and then with enhanced relationships in the post-death period. Laughter and smiling could give observers the impression that the bereaved person was healthier, better adjusted, less frustrated, and more amusing than bereaved people who did not laugh or smile. Bereaved people who laughed and smiled were also more likely to be socially connected with other people.
Leaver & Highfield. (2018). Australia.	Mixed-methods, analysis of pre-birth ultrasounds and post-death funeral/ bereavement videos; quantitative analysis of the frequency and size of Instagram images and videos gathered in 2014. Qualitative analysis of 14 days of Instagram images and text, with coding of common elements.	Flower arrangements and other typical funeral icons were the most common posted images, with “some” humorous and ironic images posted as well. Selfies, showing smiling people at funerals and other post-death events, were often posted and these were thought to depict the message that the grieving person is coping well. However, the researchers believe a depth of feeling may also be shared through Instagram videos/images. Instagram was thus viewed as a possible avenue for understanding how death is discussed in social media. In social media, was most often a sharing of the grieving person’s emotional state, and not a eulogy or other focus on the deceased. The videos and images were mainly posted for the benefit of the bereaved persons, who shared their emotions.
Lund et al. (2009). USA.	Quantitative, with 292 recently bereaved person aged 50 or older in two USA locations, who were surveyed to gain their thoughts on the importance of daily positive emotions and to determine the existence of daily positive emotions in bereavement.	Most of the bereaved spouses rated both humor and happiness as being very important in their daily lives; with 75% experiencing humor, happiness, and laughter on a daily basis. The researchers stated that this finding of daily experiences of humor and happiness, given that most people were only four months bereaved, was unexpected. Daily humor, laughter, and/or feelings of happiness were strongly associated with lower levels of grief and depression. This was also found when subjects valued humor, laughter, or feelings of happiness. Black and Caucasian people more often valued and reported the experience of humor, laughter, and happiness as compared to Asians, Latinos, and Pacific Islanders. Blacks used humor early in the bereavement process, while other races may culturally discourage shows of enjoyment. When the death was expected, humor, happiness, and laughter were more commonly found. People who experienced and valued humor, laughter, and happiness had more positive grief adjustments.
Ong et al. (2004). USA.	Quantitative, with 34 recently bereaved older adults completing a questionnaire and daily diary entries for 98 days to learn how positive daily emotions impact depression and anxiety levels.	Daily positive emotions, including emotions that started immediately after the death, were critical for reduced post-death depression and anxiety. Each day that positive emotions were present, less depression and anxiety were evident. Correspondingly, for each day of fewer positive emotions, greater depression and anxiety were evident. Some widows had greater “humor coping” skills, with these persons also identified as having a resilience trait. These people were more resistant to stress and depression following the death.
Taylor et al. (2010). Australia.	Quantitative, a 2007 telephone-call population health survey completed by 3995 representative adults, some grieving the death of a loved one.	Responses to the question “What gets you through tough times?” varied but could be grouped into 14 subject-area categories. Among these, social supports was the most common category: 51.7% reported relying on family or self, 20.1% relied on friends and neighbors, and 17% reported positive personal emotional and philosophical strategies in use such as determination and humor.